The Wright County
Monitor
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Hennigar cautions Clarion drivers:
“3rd Ave. one way during school year” By: Clae Goater Now that school’s back in session, Chief of Police Steve Hennigar wants to remind Clarion’s motorists to take extra care when they drive. “They need to be on guard, watching for kids walking,” Hennigar said. “Winter’s approaching soon, so we’re going to have slick streets. “ Hennigar pointed out that, for the duration of the school year, 3rd Avenue is a one-way from 2nd Street to 5th Street. The city has been doing this regularly for some time, as a way of easing traffic in the area. “The busses come through there, so it gets congested at dismissal time,” Hennigar said. “We’ve had it for quite a few years, but it never fails that we get people driving down it.” Hennigar said that drivers should exercise general caution when driving, especially when they are driving around the school during school hours. “Anytime from about 7:45 a.m., to about 4 o’clock … You never know when a kid’s coming in late because of a doctor’s appointment,” Hennigar said. “You need to drive with care,
especially around the school, and be alert for small children.” Hennigar said that the four-lane can is another area where drivers should be extra alert. “On fourth, there’s the crossing for kids to use the traffic light, but you’re always going to have kids that dart across. On the four lane, you need to watch for that,“ Hennigar said. Hennigar also cautioned highschool aged drivers. “The high school gets out, and sometimes they get anxious to leave. They need to be careful, especially if they’re coming down and picking up their little brothers and sisters at the middle school,“ Hennigar said. So make sure to be attentive while driving this school year, and work to stop traffic accidents before they start. Hennigar can’t remember any serious traffic accidents involving schoolchildren in the past, and he doesn’t want any this year, either. “We haven’t had any real major issues,” Hennigar said. “We haven’t had any major issues, but we don’t want any either.”
County gives go-ahead on Daybreak Foods project By: Clae Goater The County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 27, to consider a resolution to waive the county’s right to appeal the issuance of the final construction permit for the Daybreak Foods facility outside of Eagle Grove. The board voted unanimously waive their right to appeal the issuance, so that work at Daybreak Foods can begin more quickly. The board had previously reviewed the
construction permit application and the facility’s manure management plan, and both appeared to be in order. Supervisor Karl Helgevold, who lives in Eagle Grove, said that he had not heard any complaints about the plans from people who live near the facility. The plans at Daybreak Foods involve tearing down two old buildings and replacing them with three new ones.
144th year Number 36
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Official newspaper of Wright County
bar available on Aug. 8. The Meadows will also be holding a “Brunch for Lunch” on Tuesday, Sept. 10, so that tenants can meet senior leaders and members of the foundation board. “It will give the tenants here a chance to see who the higher-ups are here. They can visit with them and just get to know them. They hear the names, but putting names to faces is very important,” Wanken said. National Assisted Living week is intended to raise awareness about assisted living and assisted living facilities. Wanken described the difference between assisted living and other living arrangements. “It’s for when you’re not really quite ready for a nursing home, but you do need a little more help than if you were just in an independent living facility. Just the security of knowing that somebody is here to help you if need be,” Wanken said.
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Dr. Olson answers some key questions as vote gets closer By Les Houser By the time you read this article, it will be less than a week before the reorganization vote during the Tuesday, September 10 School Board Elections. Much has been written about the issue, and the Monitor thought that maybe a question and answer format with Superintendent Dr. Bob Olson might be a good way to help voters with possible last-minute questions they may have. We hope that we may have asked about something you would like to know as well. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for voting. Clarion-Goldfield voters may vote in the basement of the Wright County Courthouse in Clarion. Dows voters may vote at the Dows City Hall from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Before we get into that however, we want to offer a glimpse of something Olson shared at one of the recent public forums. He used a power point presentation to illustrate how property taxes would be affected if voters approve the reorganization measure. Using the scenario of no income surtax on the Instructional Support Levy, and the Dows figure of $0.67 cents on the voted PPEL (which is the lower of the two districts so is the one the State would use), the estimated property tax total for ClarionGoldfield patrons would go down to $13.07 from the current $15.54 (per $1,000 of assessed valuation). Keep in mind that this projected decrease does not take into account the impact of the state property tax
incentive, which is only available for districts voting before December 31, 2013. That would lower it even more, at least for the first three years. Monitor-“What does the future look like for Clarion-Goldfield in the next five to ten years if this vote doesn’t pass?” Olson-“In the short term, not having a sharing partner will place more demands on the district, and staffing strategy and staff size will need to be adjusted to keep expenses in line with revenue. Long term, there’s been a great deal of economic development and projects in the Clarion community with businesses projecting the hiring of more employees and the community addressing housing shortages. The districts future looks positive.” Monitor-“Even though the incentives would be gone, if this doesn’t pass can it be tried again in a year?” Olson-“It could, but it would be more difficult. If either community votes no, it could be interpreted that they are rejecting the other district. The discussions we’ve had with the respective Boards of Education, at this point, asks is the next option dissolution, similar to what happened in the Boone Valley District. One of the main reasons is the expenses in Dows will continue to greatly exceed revenue and we would run out of money in short order. It is illegal for a school district to operate in the red. Timing is an issue.” Monitor-“What is your feel for what
district patrons, of either district, are thinking on how this vote will turn out?” Olson-“I think people, most of them closest to the kids, are very positive about wanting this to happen. My biggest concern is that people will not show up at the polls. If we don’t get a respectable showing, I don’t know what it will indicate that patrons really want. Voting is a democratic process and our right under the Constitution. I hope they will exercise the right to influence the outcome. We want a great turnout, because this is a huge decision that will impact education of students in both districts whether approved or not. Something will happen either way. There will certainly be more positives with a successful vote than a negative one. While neither is perfect, this one is the best from our vantage point for our kids and that’s our focus. More good things will happen for the kids with a yes vote.” Monitor-“Does it require just a simple majority for passage?” Olson-“Yes, a simple majority of 50 percent plus one of those voting. For that reason a small turnout can make a dramatic swing in the outcome.” Monitor-“Is it true that some teachers at Clarion-Goldfield will need to be let go?” Olson-“No that is no longer true. Due to our luck in rearranging some positions, we will have no need to terminate anyone on our current teaching staff.” Monitor-“The original sharing agreement was for 10 years. If this
vote were successful, it would shorten that by one year. Why now?” Olson-“There are financial incentives provided by the state that sunset this year. If we didn’t bring this to the voters, and we passed up the opportunity to access three-quarters of a million dollars along with lowering property taxes in the C-G district and taking advantage of a property tax buy down by the state in both districts, voters would ask why. The respective Board’s, and I, wouldn’t have a good answer.” Monitor-“And finally, what was your reaction to the poor turnout, and especially in ClarionGoldfield, for the public forums?” Olson-“I would like to think people didn’t show up because they have enough information to make an informed decision at the polls. My fear is that some people may feel that it’s just going to happen and don’t need to get involved. Apathy is my biggest concern.”
SEPTEMBER 10
Branstad talks taxes, healthcare, and road repair
By Clae Goater Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds held a town hall meeting in Clarion on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The governor discussed the condition of the state, his goals as
governor, and fielded questions from locals. Branstad touted the state’s financial situation very highly, saying that his administration has
Rocking at the Meadows Assisted Living By: Clae Goater The Meadows Assisted Living will be holding numerous events next week in recognition of National Assisted Living week. National Assisted Living Week is Sept. 8-13, 2013. “Every year for Assisted Living Week, we try to do a little something bigger out of the box than we did the year before,” said Sue Wanken, CMA direct care provider. “Last year, we did our silent auction and of course the ever-famous bake sale. This year, we decided to do a rock-athon … We’ve got a fun-filled week planned for them.” Tenants of the assisted living facility will be rocking in rocking chairs for six hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Wednesday, Sept. 11, to raise money for the facility. For a small donation an individual or a representative from a business, can join the staff and residents in the Assisted Living lounge and rock for a half hour up to a full hour. The goal is to keep all 6 rocking chairs moving through the duration of the event. “We’ve sent invitations to businesses, family members, the staff of the Iowa Specialty Hospital, and also our tenants here to pledge so much money to rock for a half-anhour,” said Wanken. Games, food, and drink will also be provided at the rock-a-thon. The Meadows will also be selling homemade ice cream. “We challenge you to come rock with us,” Wanken said. “It’s generally going to be a good time to sit and rock and get to know our tenants and our elders. And our elders can get to know our community and what’s going on. Just kind of a fun get together for a good cause, we’ll raise a little money, and without a lot of work.” At the beginning of the week, on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Meadows will be holding an open house for anyone who would like a look at the facilities. “We’re going to be doing tours, and offering coffee and cookies,” said Wanken. There will also be a family salad potluck and a sandwich and dessert
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Wanken explained that the Meadows offers lots of services to its assisted living tenants. “Assisted living, here we offer showers, bathing, we do your room cleaning, we offer med management, and meals. When you live here, we take you to every appointment in the building, whether its therapy, rehab, lab work or whatever,” Wanken said. There are also regular activities, performances, and programs scheduled for the tenants. Several tenants at the Meadows went over why they decided to live at the Meadows, and what the Meadows provides for them. “For me, it was primarily so I could be close to my children,” said Elizabeth Row Woolf. “Also, so I could be close to everything. I mean, when we need to go to the doctor and so forth, we’re able to do it all inside without going out. The proximity to
a lot of things.” “I looked for the conveniences,” said Mary Louise Swanson. “And it gives me a place to walk for exercise.” Several interviewees went out of the way to praise the service at the Meadows. “Everybody is really so nice to us,” said Mary Lester. “We have really good help.” “This is really their home, and we want to make it feel as much as it would if they were living in their house in the community,” said assisted living coordinator Stacey Cayler. “Our goal is to keep them safe, but let them be as independent as possible.” So, anyone interested in taking a peek at the Meadows or visiting with the tenants and staff are more than welcome at the open house and rocka-thon this week.
Tenants at the Meadows Assisted Living are ready to rock for National Assisted Living Week. Pictured above (back row, left to right) Bernie Scheppler and Mary Louise Swanson; (front row, left to right) Helen Hilpipre, Mary Lester, and Elizabeth Row Woolf.
done a lot to right Iowa’s course over the last several years. “When the Lieutenant Governor came in, in 2011, we faced a financial mess. The state had a $900 million projected deficit. They were consistently spending more than we were taking in every year, and using one-time money for ongoing expenses. We knew we had to stop those bad budgeting practices,” Branstad said. “We worked to put together a two-year budget and a five-year projection to reduce the cost of the government. Now, we’re down 1,000 employees from the day we took office, and our budget is now balanced. We’re spending less than we’re taking in every year. Last year, we only spent 97 percent of the revenue.” Branstad outlined the goals he had set for the state during the annual Condition of the State address in January. “Our goals were to reduce property taxes for all types of property, restore Iowa’s leadership position in education, and make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by expanding access to medical care and more physicians for rural Iowa,” Branstad said.“ Branstad said that he believes that lowering property taxes is key in attracting new business to the state. According to Branstad, we should all be seeing reductions in our property taxes in the near future. “We finally, after working three straight years, got a compromised bill through that’s going to reduce property taxes on all classes of property,” Branstad said. “Over the next ten years, we’re going to see a property tax reduction of $4.3 million. That should help us attract more businesses … Commercial and industrial taxes are going to go down five percent a year for the next two years … In addition to the commercial and industrial, for small business there’s also an additional tax credit, but it has to be applied for.” Branstad noted that the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan and the Center for Reliable Growth, which have both been funded through property tax in the past, will now be funded through a mix of supplemental state and federal aid. As far as improving education, Branstad mentioned several programs have been put in place with the intention of making Iowa’s schools better. “We also passed education reform that focuses on improving
student achievement. It not only helps with public education by providing opportunities for teachers to take on more responsibilities … to improve the skills and achievement of their students,” Branstad said. “It also gives more freedom for home-schooled families as well, and permits home-schooled families to teach driver’s (education) to their children.” Branstad also said we should not expect an increase in tuition to state universities this year, “for the first time in thirty years.” During the Question and Answer portion of the speech, one member of the audience asked if the state had considered going to the private sector to help improve Iowa’s educational system. The audience member said that she had seen great results through private education, where students in “public schools have failed them.” Branstad said that they are working to implement some of the systems that make private education effective. He said that literacy is the number one factor in determining a student’s success in school, and suggested implementing standard assessments in Iowa schools to gauge how students are progressing. “What we need to do is measure whether kids are learning to read,” Branstad said. “We need to get assessment standards in place, so we can accurately judge if these kids are learning. There really is no consistent, reliable assessment. We need to have that, so that the teacher can know that this kid is not learning what he needs to be learning. “ Supervisor Karl Helgevold raised another education-related continued on page 2